


Circumbinary Beginnings

by hero_of_derp, Squid_in_disguise (hero_of_derp)



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mechpreg, Multi, Post War, sparkling fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-25
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-03-15 06:08:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3436331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hero_of_derp/pseuds/hero_of_derp, https://archiveofourown.org/users/hero_of_derp/pseuds/Squid_in_disguise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years after the war ends, Cybertron rebuilds itself, on the surface and under it. Decpticons and Autobots work together, tensely for some, as Optimus Prime and Megatron and neutral hash out a new future for their planet. Their future is already coming into play with the first few sparklings formed while Vector Sigma heals. And while most kinds of bots have at least reported a sparkling chambers starting to form, one group, the Decepticons Seekers, haven't....yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Circumbinary Beginnings

It had been years, and Cybertron was a fraction of a percent rebuilt. It was expected. The planet had been, to put it nicely, razed, ruined,   
destroyed, almost beyond recognition. Megatron and Optimus Prime had worked, were still working, tirelessly to find common ground. It was   
their own fault for being so stubborn over the years, but it was good to see them fighting with each other instead of against.

The truce between the two sides was going well, all things considered. There were several older bots coming out of the wood words that   
embraced their friends again, bots that had joined the other side. Younger bots, well, some of them hadn't known anything but war, but   
seeing the example of their elders, new friendships were blooming.

And with new friendships, of course, new romance.

Knock Out was, currently, assisting Ratchet with the result of a new such romance, one of the first new sparklings birthed since Cybertron   
had begun to reform. The sparkling wiggled on the examination berth, clearly a grounder, small, and was that any surprise given it's   
parents?

"It's healthy?" Arcee asked, reaching out to pet her little sparkling's cheek. It was already growing at an alarming rate. Just a few months   
ago it had been small in Ratchet's hands. Now, it almost filled them. Clearly it was taking after it's father.

"Perfectly." Ratchet lifted up a small arm with a nudge of his finger, examining a small scratch in the soft protoform. "Right on track with   
it's development. Come back in a few months. It's data streams should be settled enough to tell if it's coded as a mech of a femme, though   
if I had to guess it's a mech. And tell Cliffjumper to be careful with playing. This scratch should buff out fine, but better safe than   
sorry."

"He gets too excited." Arcee rolled her eyes, and Knock Out could feel the satisfaction and ease in her voice.

"Allow me," Knock Out said, and held out a hand. The sparkling looked to it's carrier, and Arcee nodded. The small bot made a chirping noise   
and crawled into Knock Out's hand, holding onto his fingers before turning it's attention to the plating on his arm, patting it. "Aah, I   
knew I liked you for a reason. You have good taste in bots, little one."

He took the sparkling to a nearby table and set it down after he pushed a few brushes aside. He picked up the smallest, softest brush he had   
and gave the sparkling a good once over, minding the still soft frame. He heard Arcee and Ratchet talking in the background, boring things,   
about how much energon it was taking in, and what trouble it was getting into and such, so Knock Out ignored them.

He gently brushed and buffed the little nicks and scratches in the little frame, ran cloth over the optics, and the patted the small head   
when the sparkling was shining like a gem. "Ah there we go. You are a handsome little thing. Almost as handsome as I am!" He picked it back   
up, and the sparkling preened, flexing little panels. He turned back to Ratchet and Arcee, and Arcee took the sparkling off his hands.

"Handsome indeed," Arcee agreed, still wary of the former decepticon, but Ratchet had vouched for his medical skill after an early disaster,   
and later for his character. Full of himself, yes, but Knock Out was a competent medic and under Ratchet's instruction he had only improved.

"Think about what I said. I'll see you both again in a few months." Ratchet nodded, and looked up at the door when it opened. "Ugh," he   
groaned, and looked at Knock Out. " _You_ can handle them."

"Ha!" Knock Out grinned as he saw who had walked in. Skywarp and Thundercracker, his partner's Trinemates, and in front of them his bondmate.   
Starscream was looking impressive these days, and that was no surprise. Knock Out was meticulous about his own appearance, and he wouldn't   
let his mate go around looking anything less than magnificent. "Oh wing commander Starscream," he purred, and Starscream's wings twitched in   
an amused way, "what brings you here?"

"He needs a scan!" Skywarp said, before Starscream could speak, and he nudged Starscream forward. Starscream scowled slightly as he stepped   
forward.

"I am fine," the seeker said. "As I have been saying for the last three cycles."

"You've been running hot, constantly, for the last two weeks," Thundercracker stated, and he joined Skywarp as they nudged Starscream   
towards the two medics again.

"Come sweetspark," Knock Out purred, his engine giving a small rev as he held out his hand and Starscream took it. The pet name made   
Starscream roll his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched up as Knock Out pulled him to an examination berth and set him down. He   
picked up a small scanner and began at Starscream's head, moving it slowly. Running hot, yes, but Knock Out would argue that Starscream was   
always hot. When he said as much, Starscream reached out and slapped at his head lightly.

"Anyway, running hot isn't too much of a concern. Still, let's take a few more scans, just to be sure." Knock Out was talking to himself as   
much as them, and part of him did want to make sure his bonded was fine. He'd almost lost Starscream to Megatron's temper countless times,   
and it was perfectly understandable that he was a touch protective.

Skywarp and Thundercracker hovered around, crowding, until Ratchet told them to back off, shooing them away. When the scanner ran over   
Starscream's chest, something caught Ratchet's eye, and he grabbed the scanner from Knock Out.

"Ratchet! I'm working here!" Knock Out said, but the look in Ratchet's eye made him pause. "...What's wrong?"

"Hmph." Ratchet ran the scanner over Starscream again, over his chest. He looked at the data running over the pad attached, turned off the   
scanner, and handed the pad to Knock Out. "I don't know much about Seekers, but that explains it."

"What is the problem-" Knock Out started, until he took a good look at the image on the scanner, a thermal scan, focused around the seeker's   
spark. There was the dark, heated image of Starscream's spark, and then, next to it, two small blips on the bottom. He dropped the pad, and   
it clattered on the floor.

"What is going on?" Starscream screeched, wings suddenly up and tight and nervous. It was hard to read what was coming from Knock Out -   
there was too much at once.

"Sparklings." Knock Out said, staring off. "Primus, Star - _Sparklings_!"

"I told you!" Skywarp yelled, and at the same time Thundercracker declared "Sparklings!", and the two were at Starscream's side in a   
sparkbeat. Skywarp turned Starscream's head and kissed his forehead, pulling back as Thundercracker picked Starscream up. The larger seeker   
spun his Trinemate in a circle. When he set Starscream down, the commander staggered slightly, and Skywarp hugged him from behind.

"Well congratulations," Arcee said from behind Ratchet, struggling not to laugh, and her sparkling was curious, watching the seekers and not   
understanding.

"Two. Not a full batch for a Seeker, but since one of you is a grounder that's expected," Ratchet commented, as the seekers finally released   
Starscream. Thundercrack grabbed Knock Out, but Knock Out shook his hand off, reaching out to grab Starscream. Starscream hissed as he was   
pulled into another hug, but almost instantly wrapped his arms around Knock Out, repeating the number.

"Two," Starscream whispered, and the world seemed to fall away. He knew it was all in his head, but he could almost feel the two fluttering   
sparks tucked next to his as easily as he could feel Knock Out's arms around him, or Knock Out's fingers digging into his plates.

"Two!" Knock Out said, and he pulled back, raising his hands to grab the sides of Starscream's head. He kissed the other mech, deeply, and   
Starscream's wing twitched. When the kiss ended, they just rested, foreheads pressed together.

"Alright, alright. Enough of that," Ratchet grumbled, and Knock Out turned his head to look at the other medic. "Knock Out, go home so you   
two can get this our of your system. You won't be any good to me so giddy."

"We're coming too!" Skywarp declared, and Knock Out knew from personal experience that is was pointless to argue with the trine.

 

* * *

 

Knock Out sat back in his chair and watched as Starscream's trinemates fussed over him, petting his wings, kissing him on the lip plates or   
head or shoulder, moving around him and making a general nuisance of themselves until Starscream had enough. Usually Starscream would gleam   
under the attention, vain as he was and deservedly, but there had been a lot to take in just in the last few minutes. The two settled when   
Starscream hissed something and his wings fluttered rapidly, and Skywarp laughed as he grabbed Thundercracker and kissed the larger bot.   
Starscream rested his hands on his hips and looked at them evenly before turning to look at Knock Out. The seeker grinned and he started   
walking toward Knock Out.

"Sparked are we?" The seeker asked, voice low, wings up and fanning in a way that was so rediculously self satisfied that Knock Out had to   
wonder if Starscream had been planning this. Well, he would have wondered, if Starscream wasn't shifting his hips in such a ridiculously   
attractive way. As it was, his processors were still reeling from the realization that they were going to have sparklings, and watching   
Starscream's hips...well, those were always distracting.

"Apparently," Knock Out purred, and Starscream reached out, resting his hands on the red mech's shoulders. He crawled into Knock Out's lap,   
and delicate fingers began to trace over his armor. "Two." He tried to stay smooth, but after a moment his composition broke, and he   
laughed, wrapped his arms around Starscream, and pulled the seeker close. "Primus, Starscream."

Starscream, to his credit, didn't yelp at the sudden movement, but rather he joined in on the laughing. He tilted Knock Out's face up, and   
kissed him deeply, shifting against him, his hips moving slightly. "Two. You are an overachiever. Three is normal for Seekers but, oh well.   
I suppose two is acceptable."

"Perhaps I should rename myself. Knock Up. What do you think? - Ow!" Knock Out laughed as Starscream slapped the side of his head lightly.

"You idiot," Starscream hissed, but his words held no trace of actual antagonism, before catching Knock Out's lips again. The kiss deepened   
quickly, and their glossa met.

Knock Out made a mental note to inquire about Seeker coding at a later date. Starscream hadn't taken such initiative in awhile. In fact he'd   
been a tad bit distant, keeping to himself in the labs, but Knock Out knew Starscream well, and when the Seeker was onto something he would   
ignore the rest of the world. Now, Knock Out wasn't going to argue about Starscream in his lap, oh Primus no, but he did want to make sure   
everything was okay. Later was important in that initial statement. Right now he just wanted to focus on the unreasonably attractive seeker   
straddling his legs, the one that was starting to roll hips against his.

Starscream's fingers tapped little trails down Knock Out's chest, teasing the seams over his spark. Knock Out's engine revved slightly, and   
his frame shifted, plating starting to open to reveal his spark, but Starscream made a sound in the back of his throat. -- _Now now, Knock_  
 _Out, that's what got us into this mess--_  Starscream said, over their comm channel, as their lips were otherwise occupied. He opened their   
bond, and Knock Out accepted it greedily. There was a rush of emotions, a surge of affection and anxiety that Knock Out hadn't felt since   
the day they'd become truly bonded, had opened up to each other and their sparks had met.

Amica endura.

Just thinking of the word made a new surge of love feed through their bond, and Starscream shuddered against him. Knock Out broke the kiss   
and moved his lips to Starscream's neck, kissing over plating and toying with exposed cables. He radiated love, happiness, pride, pleasure,   
and Starscream purred, wings fluttering up and down. His hips moved against Knock Out's again, a bit desperately this time.

Knock Out moved a hand between them, scratching down Starscream's frame until he reached his interface panels. -- _Open?_ \-- he asked, finger   
tracing along the seals, and it only took a few seconds before Starscream sighed and the panel slid open.

It was right about then that Knock Out realized that Starscream's Trine was still in the room, and enjoying themselves. He looked past   
Starscream's shoulder, and Skywarp was kissing Thundercracker, pinned against the floor, and his legs were open as was his panel, and   
Thundercracker had a finger in his valve already. They seemed to be enjoying the view....well, Knock Out hated to disappoint, but...

\-- _They're getting an eye full_ \--, he commed to Starscream, while he cupped his hand over Starscream's valve.

\-- _Of course they are_ \--. Starscream scoffed. -- _Do you want them to leave?_ \-- And Knock Out smiled against Starscream's neck. As bratty as   
Starscream was, he did care, and he had no desire to make Knock Out uncomfortable, even knowing that they had done this before with   
Starscream's Trinemates in the room. It was a small voyeuristic kink, Knock Out decided as he rubbed his hand over Starscream's valve. It   
was nice to be asked all the same. Oh well, that was Seekers for you. They always did things together.

\-- _And deprive them of the opportunity to see their leader undone?_ \-- Knock out nipped Starscream's neck as he pressed a finger inside,   
finding Starscream aready damp. -- _Never_.--

Starscream gave a small moan and leaned against Knock Out a bit more. He arched his back, and Knock Out almost wished he was behind   
Starscream instead, to see that pretty arched aft sticking out, to see his wings fluttering, to see his fingers being swallowed by that   
valve. Next time, maybe. For now he was content to slip another finger in and stroke the nodes that made Starscream wiggle.

Primus he would have to open his own panels soon.

Lubrication started to trickle down Knock Out's fingers, and he added a third finger, slowly drawing it in and out of the seeker. The   
pleasure and anticipation was fed through their bond and it made Knock Out's desire double and his interface panel popped open before he   
could stop it. Truthfully, he wouldn't have stopped it anyway.

His spike pressurized and he moved his three fingers inside Starscream, rubbing against nodes that made Starscream start to wiggle,   
impatiently, against them and down, and the back of Knock Out's hand nudged against his own spike.

"Ready so soon are you?" Knock Out said, moving his lips back up towards Starscream's face. His thumb brushed over Starscream's outer node   
and traced a small circle and Starscream sighed, shakily. Starscream's wings fluttered as he suddenly grabbed Knock Out's wrist, and their   
eyes met as Starscream moved Knock Out's hand from his valve, only to sink down on it.

"And who, exactly, is the one being undone?" Starscream whispered as Knock Out's optics offlined for a moment. Before Knock Out could   
recover, Starscream's hips were already moving in small, shallow circles. Both of their engines were rumbling quite happily now, and   
Starscream kissed Knock Out. This kiss was not as hungry and violent as before, but tender and deep and loving.

Their bond opened completely, and they engulfed each other, felt everything twice over, fed back through their bond, shaking their frames,   
making their sparks throb. Their lips were still pressed together, and they gave each other lovely sloppy kisses as Knock Out braced one arm   
against the chair to give himself leverage to press into Starscream. His spike touched some particularly sensitive nodes and Starscream's   
thighs shook for a moment as he pulled back and then sat back down Knock Out, and a trifecta of _lust-love-pleasure_ rushed through their   
bond. Knock Out ached, his own valve throbbing as if he was the one getting spiked.

When Knock Out overloaded, the rush traveled across to Starscream, and the seeker tensed, gasping as fluid shot across the red mech's chest   
from his spike. Starscream lowered his head to Knock Out's broad shoulders, his hips slowing until they only moved with the ocassional   
twitch. Their fans were roaring, and Knock Out inhaled deeply to aid the cooling process. He paused when he felt Starscream shake, lightly,   
and he gripped the seeker by the upper arms, pulling him away slightly.

"Starscream?" He asked, quietly. He couldn't feel any distress through their bond, but what he could feel was an unidentifiable jumble.

Starscream onlined his optics, and Knock Out was satisfied to see that the seeker wasn't crying, but barely containing laughter. He looked   
over his shoulder at his trinemates, who had satisfied each other long before. "Skywarp was just commenting on how loving and thorough a   
sire you'll be." He tweaked one of Knock Out's audials before raising his hips, and Knock Out slid out of his valve. Interface panels closed   
before Starscream settled back into Knock Out's lap, resting his head against the broad red chest.

"Oh how kind of him," Knock Out scoffed, resting a hand on Starscream's thigh, the other curling around his back, and his fingertips stroked   
over the base of a wing.

They sat there, taking a satisfaction in each other that way only bonded bots could. It was deeper than sexual, though they were quite   
satisfied there too. Emotional, socially, every need they could ever have was satisfied when the bond was so open. It was easy to fall   
asleep like that, even sitting up.

When Knock Out awoke, there was a small 'ping', a message, from Ratchet, telling him to come back to their medical office whenever he was   
done 'fragging the hell out of his seeker, and bring the seeker too'. Starscream was still in his lap, ankles crossed and wings at an   
awkward angle that he would complain about when he finished recharging. Of course the seeker would also complain about the fluid dried over   
them but, well, that would just mean that Knock Out could pull him in for a good wash and buff. For now, Knock Out was perfectly content to   
cuddle, and his engine purred slightly as Starscream mumbled something in his recharge.

Ha. Cute.

"Leave it to Starscream to sleep in any position," Skywarp said from behind Knock Out, and the seeker somehow snuck his arms around Knock   
Out's neck. "He's like...what do those earthlings have? Cats. Those liquid furry things."

"How accurate." Knock Out laughed softly and it faded, as he attempted to not wake the sleeping 'bot in his lap. Skywarp leaned over and   
kissed the top of Knock Out's head. "Hm, what's that for then? I can't do much right now. Lap full of Seeker, you know."

Skywarp laughed. "You are our Trine leader's mate and the sire of sparklings now." He grinned widely down at the medic. "You knew what you   
were getting into when you bonded with a seeker."

Knock Out snorted softly but smile, and closed his eyes. "Oh yes. Bond with a seeker, and you get the Trine. It's every bot's dream.   
Practically kinky."

"Oh you grounders." Skywarp pulled his arms back. "But you're lucky. You know those sparklings will never get hurt. Skywarp and I will   
protect them like they were our own, as Starscream would do for us."

Knock Out removed his hand from Starscream's thigh and lifted it up, reaching over his shoulder to find Skywarp's face. He patted the   
seeker's cheek. "Even if they were grounders?"

"Ha! You wish. Those will be seekers, just like us. Just you wait and see." Skywarp nodded, seeming entirely sure of himself. "You won't   
know what to do with yourself, little seekers crashing around." He sighed suddenly an slouched over the chair, wings twitching. "I'm so   
excited."

Knock Out sighed and rested his hand over Starscream's spark, his thumb stroking over the plates that hid his spark. "You know it's still   
early-"

"Oh no you don't. I saw those scans!" Skywarp rested his chin on the top of Knock Out's head. "You don't get it because you're a grounder-"

"-and I've never dealt with sparklings-"

"But when a seeker gets sparked, they're sparked. Unless someone kills him, which won't happen, you'll be stuck with an armful of sparkling   
seekers." Skywarp grinned. "You know, we've all be waiting for this."

"Oh is that so?" Knock Out tilted his head back, trying to get a look at Skywarp. "You seem so excited. You and Thundercracker haven't...?"

"Well no one else would get sparked before our dear commander. That would just be rude. But now that he's sparked, I can think of a few   
pairs and trines that are going to be trying."

"Will you two be quiet?" Starscream mumbled from Knock Out's chest, voice half static and scratch as he stirred. Knock Out heard Skywarp   
laugh before the air changed and the seeker was gone, leaving Starscream and Knock Out alone now. Starscream shifted and stretched. The   
seeker stretched his legs in particular, and crossed his ankles, looking up at Knock Out with a frown. "So loud."

"Oh your nap was over anyway." Knock Out stroked one of Starscream's wings, and the seeker sighed. Skywarp reappeared after a moment, with a   
cube of energon, and Starscream took it. "Ratchet requests our presence when we're done fragging," he said, moving his hand off Starscream's   
wing.

"Oh joy." Starscream rolled his eyes and looked up at Skywarp. "Have you-"

"No, Thunder and I haven't told anyone yet." Skywarp grinned. "That's your honor, Commander." He bowed, but the motion seemed sarcastic and   
insincere. Starscream reached out and tweaked the end of Skywarp's wing.

Starscream finished the cube and stood up, stretching. "I'll go wash up, then." He walked off, and when Knock Out stood to follow him   
Skywarp stopped him.

"No, no, we have to talk first." Skywarp grinned. "Nothing bad, just wanted to give you some advice."

"O...kay." Knock Out said, raising a brow. "What's that then?"

"First," Skywarp held up one servo, "as soon as you jump in there he's gonna jump your frame again. Two," he held up another, "he's gonna be   
doing this an awful lot at first. Ask the doc, he'll tell you it's Seeker coding. All kinds of fun for you in the beginning and then not a   
lot until the sparks come out! Then, well, you'll have baby sitters which is good because he'll be all over you for awhile." Skywarp reached   
out and grabbed Knock Out's upper arms. "Knock Out."

"What now?" Knock Out was impatient, knowing that Starscream was waiting for him, and he could feel the pulls of desire-want-get in here-   
lust.

"...I think Knock Up is a great name."

Skywarp grinned even as Knock Out gave him a very Starscream-esque slap on the head.

 

* * *

 

By some miracle there were a few medic-coded aerial bots that had survived all these years, to check Starscream's system at his regular   
check ups. Perfectly healthy sparks, perfectly healthy carrier, and Knock Out was particularly thankful when the aerial bot began to assign   
them reading of what they would need to know.

Starscream had insisted that he'd seen plenty of seekerlings before, but the aerial bot had simply countered that the commander had never   
raised any, and that was very different. However, there were Seekers who had, and Starscream made it a note to speak to them on a more   
personal basis after they announced the sparklings to the seekers as a whole.

Speaking of which.

"You're thinking again. Stop moving!" Knock Out said, impatiently, and Starscream's wings flicked in irritation. "And stop being worried."

"I am -not- worried," Starscream said, glaring over his shoulder at Knock Out.

"You are." Knock Out scoffed as he moved the soft cloth between Starscream's wings. "You're all tense. And if we weren't about to go out   
there..." His voice dropped and he moved his hands down Starscream's wing in a very sensual manner. "I would drop you onto the berth to help   
get rid of some of this tension."

"... _Later_ ," Starscream said tensely, and when Knock Out chuckled softly, he knew it was a promise and not just empty words.

"But,, honestly. Star. Why are you so worried?" Knock Out turned his attention to Starscream's other pair of wings, wiping in small circles   
until it was shining and he could almost see his reflection.

"It's irrational and foolish and I don't know!" Starscream crossed his arms.

"Because I'm a grounder, perhaps?" Knock Out asked, and Starscream shook his head with a huff.

"No. They accept you. If you had wings you know, you'd be almost as desirable as me." Starscream examined the back of his hand. "But you had   
to choose a car."

"Oh I am already desirable." Knock out scoffed. "There, you are shining like the sun itself."

Starscream turned slightly, looking over himself. "...Acceptable," he said, but that was his nature, and his voice and what he sent through   
the bond said that it was far beyond acceptable, it was perfectly done. It was particularly important now, skywarp and Thundercracker had   
told Knock Out. The other seekers needed to see that he cared for Starscream beyond the sparklings, and spectacular grooming was an   
excellent way to do so.

"Mm. I am the luckiest grounder." Knock Out grinned.

Starscresm scoffed and tapped over Knock Out's spark. "And don't you forget it."

They needn't have worried in the end. Starscream hadn't even finished his announcement before there were a chorus of noises that Knock Out   
couldn't understand. Seeker speak. All he could tell was that they were happy noises. Starscream rolled his eyes and looked back at Knock   
Out, but his eyes were full of love.

Knock Out winked at Starscreamer as Skywarp and and Thundercracker grabbed their trine leader to pull him into the crowd of Seekers. After a   
moments the Trine and most of the other seekers lifted off and disappeared into the sky, and Knock Out looked up, watching them fly.

Aah seekers.

What a fun bunch.

 

* * *

 

Thundercracker took Knock Out on the journey to harvest proto matter to make the protoforms for the coming sparklings. It was almost time,   
and Starscream was getting even more irritable than usual, had even more mood swings, and in general thought everyone was a nuisance. To be   
honest, Knock Out was glad for the reason to get out of there, even if just for a few hours. Thundercracker was ahead and above him as Knock   
Out drove. Ratchet had said that they could get it easily, but Thundercracker had said something about Seeker Tradition, so there they were,   
on the edge of what was once Vos. Seekers would always be from Vos, to their very bones, and they had to search for days among the rubble   
until they found the way to an old mine.

Proto Matter to make the proto form. It was almost time for the sparks to have their own body. Knock Out would be lying if he said he wasn't   
excited, but he would also be happy when he had his mate back proper and sparklings in his hands.

By the time they cleared beams and rocks from the entrance, Knock Out was covered with scratches and dust, and he glared down at his   
chestplates. Thundercracker looked at him, shook his head, and went inside, but Knock Out paused a moment to open his comm link to   
Starscream before following.

\-- _I am entirely filthy_ ,-- he sent, and after a moment, before Starscream could respond, he sent another line of text. -- _For our sparklings,_  
 _completely worth it_.--

Starscream's message back was filled with the anxiety and moodiness that Knock Out had come to recognize in the last several months. _I'll_  
 _make it up to you._ \--

\-- _So sweet. Do prepare my brushes?--_

The message back had no letters, just a wash of adoration that made his spark flutter and warm. This was more than worth the scratches and   
dust.

His headlights came on as the mine got darker, and Thundercracker looked around, pulling his wings in. "Close quarters," he said.

"Want to wait outside?" Knock Out raised a brow, but Thundercracker shook his head and ducked under a low doorway.

"No. A seeker has to be here for this."

"Alright." Knock Out shrugged.

A few hours later and they were finally in a large chamber, far underground, and it was clearly ceremonial, a half sphere in shape, with   
glyphs and paintings of unknown importance to Knock Out covering the walls. It was also dusty, and Knock Out doubted that it had seen any   
use since long before the war started on Cybertron. In the center of the room was a small pool, though it was sealed.

"It's sealed," Knock Out said, looking at Thundercracker, who hadn't moved past the door.

"It'll open. Just go." Thundercracker nodded and stood, looking almost like a guard.

Knock Out shrugged and walked toward the sealed pool. He reach the edge when a sudden serenity washed over him, and the air felt electric,   
making a sharp taste in the back of his throat. He felt immobilized for a moment, and his spark flared. There was a sharp pain around it,   
and for a moment felt as if some unknown, invisible thing was going to tear his very spark out.

Was that it? Was he unworthy of this? No.

He was.

- ** _Correct_** \- a voice echoed in his head, and the pool opened to a blinding light, and Knock Out raised a hand, suddenly free, to shade his   
eyes. The light dimmed, and the pool was full of proto matter, rippling gentle with the distant hum of Primus at the core.

He reached into his subspace to pull out the two jars, and he knelt. One at a time he filled them with the proto matter, then sealed them.   
As soon as he removed the second one the pool slid back shut, and the air seemed heavy still. He stood and packed the jars back into his   
subspace, feeling substantially heavier now.

"Good job. I guess you are worthy," Thundercracker said, and Knock Out turned.

"Of course. You doubted me?"

"Sometimes." Thundercracker smiled. "But, the rest of my trine likes you. I just wanted to be sure." He flexed his wings. "Come on. Let's   
get back."

"Agreed." Knock Out brushed at his chest plate, and the dust didn't move. He sighed, following Thundercracker back out.

When they reached the surface and changed, Knock Out made sure the jars were safetly buckled into his seats. They filled the seats well,   
almost as large as a human, and his seat belts tightened a bit. He drove a bit more cautiously then he usually did, and when asked later he   
would say it was because Starscream would kill him over any little scratch in them.

But really, it was because he would kill himself for any risk of damage.

 

* * *

 

 

There was an aerial bot doing the final removal, and Ratchet assisting, and Knock Out had been forbidden to even lifting a finger to aid.   
Probably for the best. Starscream had his hands in a vice grip, sharp claws scratching, and Knock Out didn't even care. He was just as   
nervous.

There was no turning off the pain receptors for this, no medical energon to dull the senses. Ratchet had offered. Starscream had refused.   
Seeker way, he'd said, to feel every moment of a sparkling's life, even the removal. The aerial bot had just shrugged.

So there they were, Starscream's chest open, revealing his spark chamber, and the two tiny chambers that had grown under it. The blue glow   
filled the room, the two little sparks adding their glow. Starscream kept his eyes on Knock Out's, mouth in a thin, tense line.

"Knock Out, if I-"

"Go offline, don't worry, you'll come back online." Knock Out smiled. "Don't worry I won't let you go grey." He gave Starscream's hand a   
gentle squeeze before relaxing.

"Monitor the vitals," the aerialbot said, hand changing to a small thin saw. "The connections have started to break, good, this won't take   
but a few inches." They looked at Ratchet. "Recovery energon ready?"

"Of course, who do you think I am?" Ratchet scoffed.

Then the cutting started. Pain and worry washed over Knock Out from their bond, and he almost reeled, tasting energon in the back of his   
throat. He took it, tried to not feed it back. "You're doing great," he whispered, though he had no idea if Starscream actually was. The   
words seemed to help a bit nonetheless, and Starscream closed his eyes tightly, still tense, but at least he had a feeling that he could get   
through it.

Energon leaked past the saw as it cut through wires and sensors that were connecting the first spark chamber from Starscream's, but it only   
took a few minutes. "Protomatter," the aerial bot said, and Ratchet cupped his hands, taking the small chamber from the aerial bot and   
walking a few steps across the room to a tall tube they'd already had set up, filled with energon, with the protomatter at the bottom, ready   
for a spark. When it fell in, it sank, met the matter, and it started to bubble, coming alive, forming into a body.

While it bubbled, turning into a new bot, the aerialbot cauterized the few leaking energon connections from the first chamber.

"How are we doing?" The medic asked, looking up at Starscream, who just hissed a ' _GET ON WITH IT'_. With a shrug, the aerial bot switched to   
the saw again and began work. This one seemed to go faster, and was perhaps less painful. Knock Out could feel the distress over their bond,   
the pain, and knew that Starscream was already overwhelmed with the readings of pain from his spark.

But when it was finally removed, and Ratchet took the next small casing, Starscream relaxed as much as he could with his body twitching.   
There was a moment of tenseness as the the wounds were cauterized and healed, and Starscream suddenly relaxed. Knock Out realized that   
Starscream had turned off his pain receptors, and he leaned over, pressing his lip plates against Starscream's head.

Starscream waved him off, and the aerial bot poked around before backing off, and Starscream's chestplates slid back shut.

"They're forming nicely," Ratchet reported, sealing both of the tanks. The protoform of the first one was almost formed, the spark glowing   
brightly in the rough shape of a body. Head, arms, torso, legs, other random bumps and edges that would form into rough shapes. They were   
almost the size of a grown human, featureless, but that would change in time.

Starscream, as stubborn as ever, waved off help to stand, and walked over to the tubes, held his hands behind him, and examined them.   
Eventually he stood, looked over at Knock Out, and cleared his throat. "Knock Out. Look what you did."

Knock Out laughed. "I'm fairly sure you helped," he said, crossing his arms, but going to stand beside his bondmate. "Oh, I think I see   
wheels on that one!"

Starscream's screech was well worth it.

"The nuturing takes a few weeks," Ratchet said, looking over initial scans. "But after that they should be good to go home."

Starscream looked at the protoforms, then at Knock Out, and he reached over, talons tapping over his chest armor in a well-known way. "I   
think I know of a few ways we can spend a few weeks to ourselves before we are laden with little bots."

Knock Out had placed his hands on Starscream's slim waist when two wrenches came flying from Ratchet and hit them in the heads, and   
Starscream grabbed Knock Out and pulled him out of the med bay to the sound of Ratchet ordering them out of his lab.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first transformers fic and my first fic in a while so hopefully it's not TOO terrible. I'll probably write something later on my own headcanons of sparkling development but for now there's this! This is mostly just silly and for fun, but I hope it was enjoyable.  
> Thanks for reading!


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